Search results

I wouldn't worry too much about something like a thruway bus connection between Emeryville and San Francisco now that there aren't any intermediate stops in San Francisco. All passengers get out at the same stop and ostensibly can keep an eye on the baggage hold. But I've taken several longer...

You'll still have to fret over "carry on" on a bus. Most buses that are used for Amtrak service have the tiniest overhead racks. Most baggage up to Amtrak's maximum carry on size probably needs to go into the baggage hold. I've had stuff stashed in the baggage hold. The driver will usually...

I rode on it last Nov. Without a cafe car they had lots of snack boxes and bottled water. It wasn't that great, but it was free. Some passengers grabbed more than one. I'm trying to figure out what the issue is. I checked it out and there's a schedule 22+ hour transfer time in LA.

The only Amtrak bus services I recall that ever had any kind of checked baggage was to from SFC when it had an actual “station building”. I don’t know how it worked as the times I used the bus I never had more than a bag I took with me. Even Amtrak complicated “carry on” might be too big and...

There’s no ETA on when the suspension will be lifted. But in the meantime checked baggage has been completely suspended on the Pacific Surfliner.

Not sure what they're doing now with the bus bridge and track work. OK - looked it up and checked baggage service has been completely suspended. https://www.pacificsurfliner.com/plan-your-trip/alerts/travel-advisories/ Baggage Service Suspended: Checked baggage will not be available while we...

The Coast Starlight takes its own sweet time getting from point A to point B. I think southbound from Emeryville to San Jose takes about 2 hours while it just takes a leisurely route. But there are alternatives. I know that many have colorful nicknames for alternative busing on Amtrak, but it...

Oh - I think anyone who has taken Amtrak enough times has stories about interminable delays and other issues. You just kind of roll with it and take it as it comes. However, there's nothing that inherently requires being overly concerned about connection times. If there's a reason beyond your...

Sounds like the northbound 765. I’ve been on it when it was late, so that’s always a possibility. Not sure if it will wait for 765 like they might wait a few minutes for a late connecting bus. But one possibility is just riding an earlier Surfliner train (will have to be at least the day...

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/smart-train-connecting-sf-wine-country-17775168.php

Sometimes I don't like how people meet up when they just won't shut up. Once I was on the Coast Starlight from Seattle to Emeryville. There were a couple of passengers who apparently had something in common when they meet in the lounge. But later on one passenger went to track down the guy he...

There's certainly more time and more opportunities. There's time on a bus, but often it's people who don't want to talk and there are no shared spaces per say like a lounge or a dining car.

I think it's the nicest hotel in Oakland. Some may say it's the Claremont, but that's away from OKJ. Still - I've heard of some hear mentioning that they've booked sketchy motels in East Oakland that required a 5 mile Uber ride from OKJ, so what do I know...

No shuttle currently. But here's the map of the route when it did run. https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/free-broadway-shuttle

Not sure when, but the hotel in Oakland has been purchased and is slated to become "affordable" housing for specific income levels that they hope will allow housing for teachers, first responders, and nurses. Not necessarily the poorest, but those who might have problems with $4000/month rent...

Yeah - I kind of left out that if an airline had poor quality food from a specific supplier, it could change suppliers. But then again there are probably some places where there are few options or where they're all pretty bad. But then again, if someone finds something really exceptional on an...

The biggest issue with the quality of food is that it's all from local foodservice companies. The quality of the food depends on the provider and may not have that much to do with the airline. There are likely several companies to choose from that supply the same airports though.

You can definitely see how it changed. They eliminated the zig-zag roof on the restaurant but you can still see where they have remnants of it. And the cladding on the hotel is gone. There used to be another ButtercuP location in Oakland that could be seen from I-880. That one just closed...

I know that spot well. In the 70s it was a *****'s Restaurant. This photo is from the 60s (i.e. before I was born), but it was there that long). I think it became a Denny's before the current occupant. If it doesn't need to be within walking distance, the Oakland Marriott is probably the...

So the circle is complete, and I've gotten the funds. My main worry was that I would make an entry mistake with my account number. So for all my trouble I got everything back, 25,000 extra Rapid Rewards points, and they paid for a $63 bus/train ride. I'm OK with it since my trip ended up...